Amendments to the Ways and Means budget are being filed as you read this post. The DEADLINE for filing and for co-sponsors is Thursday, April 13th by 5 PM. Debate on the House Ways and Means budget starts the week of April 24th.

SNAP Gap: Rep Jay Livingstone has filed Amendment #31 to close the SNAP Gap and require the Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) to allow MassHealth applicants and recipients to initiate a SNAP application at the same time and use common info and documents. Reps Ashe, Donohue, Ferrante, Garballey, Hecht, Khan, Scibak, Smizik and Vega had already signed on this AM.Â And MORE can sign on anytime before COB on Thursday!

Family Cap: Rep Marjorie Decker will be filing an amendment to address the Family Cap, a cash assistance policy that excludes younger siblings from the TAFDC grant. (Amendment does not have a number yet). For more information, contact Deborah Harris at MLRI dharris@mlri.org

MEFAP: Rep Peter Kocut will be filing an amendment to increase the state's critical MEFAP funding from $17M to $20M. (Amendment does not have a number yet.) For more information, contact Catherine Drennan at the Greater Boston Food Bank. cdrennan@gbfb.org

For amendments already filed, the Rep can sign on as a co-sponsor directly through the State House LAWS portal. For Amendments without an amendment number, the Rep needs to contact the House member to request to be added to the amendment. Either way works FINE. The MOST important step is to contact your State Rep today or tomorrow to urge co-sponsorship - by phone, email, tweet, Facebook!.

To track amendments as the debate process starts, go to: https://malegislature.gov/Budget/HouseDebate You can expect over 1,000 amendments (as is typical each year), but the traditional process in the House is where they "bundle" amendments that fall within common areas and either adopt the "consolidated" amendment, reject, have the sponsor withdraw, as well as have a vote on certain amendments.